WINDHOEK – Mourners from all walks of life on Sunday packed the St Michael’s Anglican Church during a memorial service held to pay tribute to the late George Shinyala who was a Principal Parliamentary Clerk (Deputy Director) in the National Assembly.
The sombre mood was lightened up by speakers who boldly graced the podium to pay glowing tributes to the late Shinyala, while others opted to present their speeches in a light and humorous fashion. Shinyala who died last Tuesday was described by speakers as a jovial, hard working individual who remained calm amidst pressure. Shinyala’s daughter Namene, the second of five children boldly stood before mourners to narrate the history of her departed father. Speaking on behalf of her brothers and sisters Namene described her father as “our greatest hero and he taught us a lot about life. He was always there to help. He would enter the room and his presence was immediately felt.” Namene said her father stood for what was right and was gifted with wisdom. “He was a remarkable man who always had time to listen to us,” she said.
In a speech read on her behalf, Shinyala’s widow Rauha described her late husband as a hardworking man who hated what was negative. “He did not like making people feel bad. He was a happy man. In the house there was always peace, love and understanding,” she said. The Secretary of the National Assembly, Jakes Jacobs said Shinyala’s death is deeply felt not only by his family, but also by those who knew and respected him during his service to the people of Namibia. “His credible performance and remarkable commitment and dedication to his work indeed speak of his strong work ethic. His passing on will surely leave a professional void in our work place,” Jacobs said. The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration, Elia Kaiyamo who succeeded in making the mourners laugh said the late Shinyala has a proud and rich history that must be told. Kaiyamo who spoke highly of the deceased who left the country for exile in Angola in 1977 said Shinyala stood for the truth even in exile. Shinyala narrowly escaped the Cassinga massacre as he was appointed three days before the brutal event to attend military training.
In 1984, he was selected to go to the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) for advanced military training, said Nakathingo Shivute who read the eulogy. “Shinyala was not a man to lie to you, he told the truth. That is what he did in exile. He did his job, we worked together. What you see in us is what we learnt from him. He completed the tasks allocated to him by the (Swapo) party and by God,” Kaiyamo said.
In between the speeches the mourners comforted themselves by singing hymns in between the speeches with some from the audience nodding in agreement with the descriptions of the late Shinyala delivered by the various speakers. When it was time to view the body, the deceased’s wife stoically bid her husband farewell as she stood firm withholding tears. Shinyala started his career in the Public Service of Namibia in October 1990 as a Foreign Administrative Officer, serving in the secretariats of both the National Assembly and the National Council. In 2007, he left Parliament to become the Personal Assistant to the then Minister of Mines and Energy and later the Minister of Works and Transport Helmut Angula whereafter he re-joined the National Assembly to take on the position of Principal Parliamentary Clerk in August 2010. Shinyala is survived by his wife, five children, his parents and eight siblings. He will be laid to rest today at Eenghango, a village in the Ohangwena Region.
By Alvine Kapitako